Regardless of how you feel about China's human rights record, what does this really accomplish? If you want to antagonize another major world power and major trading partner, then you should at least get something out of it. This gets the US absolutely nothing.

In Tehran, Iran, President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr sent a message of condolence to the Sands family. The government renamed Winston Churchill Boulevard, the location of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Tehran, to Bobby Sands Street, prompting the embassy to move its entrance door to Ferdowsi Avenue to avoid using Bobby Sands Street on its letterhead.

RexTalionis:Regardless of how you feel about China's human rights record, what does this really accomplish? If you want to antagonize another major world power and major trading partner, then you should at least get something out of it. This gets the US absolutely nothing.

Well, I was going to mention in this thread that St. George's Place in Glasgow apparently contributed to the downfall of apartheid. The South African Consulate was there, so they renamed it Nelson Mandela Place.

In Tehran, Iran, President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr sent a message of condolence to the Sands family. The government renamed Winston Churchill Boulevard, the location of the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Tehran, to Bobby Sands Street, prompting the embassy to move its entrance door to Ferdowsi Avenue to avoid using Bobby Sands Street on its letterhead.

sithon:But look at the Castro district in San francisco. It's not unprecedented.

The Castro district was named after a convertible bed. You're thinking of Northampton, which was named after the noted vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, after the bigot who ran the local concert hall wouldn't let Hampton play there.

FTFA: Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, with the Nobel committee citing his fight for "a more open and democratic China" for more than two decades.

I wonder what such an advocate for democracy would make of D.C.'s plantationhood. D.C.'s home rule is compromised to the point where Congress, in which D.C. has no voting members, can change the names of the fricking streets. Fark the CCP. But also fark Congressional Republicans for turning their backs on the bedrock principle of democracy (representative government) out of pure partisanship, if not outright racism.

RexTalionis: Regardless of how you feel about China's human rights record, what does this really accomplish? If you want to antagonize another major world power and major trading partner, then you should at least get something out of it. This gets the US absolutely nothing.

As much as I dislike Beijing, THIS I agree with. It smacks of being so ineffectual to influence China, one resorts to pathetic childish ways to annoy them. Which wouldn't annoy me at all if I was an embassy official - although I'd definitely protest about how the Americans are being "provocative".

Now what I thought was funny and very irritating to China was appointing Gary Locke as ambassador. A guy who looks like them but is probably even more American than me and speaks worse Mandarin than me (which is an accomplishment - mine is utterly pathetic).

I think they should rename K Street. Either "Gay" Street or "Castro Street" would be fine. Maybe a one for one swap with San Francisco would work best. Rename Castro Street "K" and K "Castro Street". It might not save any gay Ugandans from rape, murder, torture and imprisonment but it would make me smile every time I thought about it. Haters gonna hate, but you can always mock them.

Don't piss off China. After all, there are lots of people in both your countries working very hard to meet half way or possibly even cross in the night. If you must taunt somebody, taunt K Street.

ChildOfBhaal:FTFA: Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, with the Nobel committee citing his fight for "a more open and democratic China" for more than two decades.

I wonder what such an advocate for democracy would make of D.C.'s plantationhood. D.C.'s home rule is compromised to the point where Congress, in which D.C. has no voting members, can change the names of the fricking streets. Fark the CCP. But also fark Congressional Republicans for turning their backs on the bedrock principle of democracy (representative government) out of pure partisanship, if not outright racism.

I'm conflicted:

I support congressional representation for DC, but at the same time I, as a non-DC resident am hesitant to demand full statehood on their behalf, in case some residents don't want it.

ChildOfBhaal:FTFA: Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010, with the Nobel committee citing his fight for "a more open and democratic China" for more than two decades.

I wonder what such an advocate for democracy would make of D.C.'s plantationhood. D.C.'s home rule is compromised to the point where Congress, in which D.C. has no voting members, can change the names of the fricking streets. Fark the CCP. But also fark Congressional Republicans for turning their backs on the bedrock principle of democracy (representative government) out of pure partisanship, if not outright racism.

So, you are saying that the Republicans did this just because they could to put Obama in a situation or un-comfortable phone call?

Seems like any "attack on China" gets politicians in DC free brownie points.

For whatever reason, Americans hate the Chinese.Doing these kinds of things really flares up the populace and makes them all giddy. However, they can't do anything real because of trade and them owning us and such.